Dog Town Half-Marathon - Shannon Hinman, Guest Blogger

Note: We thought it might be fun to invite members of our community to share their own feelings and insights into life in Washington City. So over the next few months you will occasionally see a posting by members of our community. 

The first submittable is from Shannon Hinman. Shannon grew up in Salt Lake City and her and her husband Jack have lived here for the past five years. Their family consists of two young and very active children. Shannon and her family stays actively involved in our city and always provides us with wonderful feedback and suggestions.

Thanks Shannon for your posting.

Roger Carter
City Manager

Dog Town Half-Marathon

It was a picturesque day for the Dogtown Half Marathon. I walked out my front door and to the start line in Coral Canyon with my husband, a friend from Memphis, Tennessee, and another friend from Kaysville, Utah. I donned a long sleeve shirt from 1Law, one of the race sponsors that I received at
the Expo the day before. The sun was shining and I was happy I wore my new red "Get Bit" shorts found in each race packet. I was about run with a group of 400 of my new best friends. 

Within a few miles of the start, the race turned onto the Cottonwood Wash Trail in a beautiful canyon. This was definitely my favorite miles of the half marathon. As the trail slopped downhill I was distracted by my surroundings and gained speed. An aid station came into view, volunteers eagerly held out cups to help with hydration and fuel needs. 

I crossed the finish line and received my dog tag finisher's metal. I cannot decide if I was more excited to have a new personal best time or that I beat my husband and his two best friends. The spread of food for
participants was wonderful and I quickly shoved handfuls of grapes into my mouth. I am eager to run this race again next year and I am not letting the name of the Hell Hole 5K scare me away from running this May during Cotton Days.

-Shannon Hinman-

Business Visits

One of the goals of my office this year was to make it a point to stop and visit with our local businesses. Starting last month Mayor Ken Neilson and I have visited several of these establishments. I wanted to share with you what an enjoyable experience this has been and a little about these businesses.

We started with one of the new start-ups in our community, "Duke's Deli." This business was started by Derek "Duke" Nelson and what a great example he is of a young entrepreneur. His sandwiches are delicious, they have a personal touch, and the place is very successful. I hope you will go over and try "The Duke" for lunch and welcome their establishment to our community.

We have met with one of the real powerhouses in our city, Kohl's. This well-recognized retail store attracts shoppers from the whole southwest Utah region. They are the anchor store for the Cotton Mill II shopping center. A great deal of the amenities we enjoy in this community from our parks, to our community center, to our roads, all of this could not be possible without the sales tax we receive from these large, chain stores.

Another large anchor for us is Home Depot. Home Depot and Walmart were the first large big-box stores that came to Washington. Home Depot has been a great partner in both the good and bad times here in Washington. We will forever appreciate the assistance Home Depot gave to this city during our flood times; when they opened their doors and provided tools and other equipment we needed and helped organize citizens in sand-bagging operations.

Finally, we visited with Lane and Helen at St. Helen's restaurant. This couple are true pioneers in our community. It was enjoyable talking to them and having them reminisce about their history here in Washington, the challenges and rewards. They have seen it all, from trying to familiarize the community to a new product, to road closures and tough economies. Through it all however they have offered a unique dining experience and been an important part of our community family. For you "old timers" I am not telling you anything you don't already know and for you "new comers" I hope you will take the opportunity to get to know Lane and Helen and enjoy the wonderful food they provide.

Each of these individuals and establishments are representative of all of the hard working and successful businesses that call Washington home. I appreciate what they do for our city and look forward to meeting many more of you in the upcoming months.

Roger Carter
City Manager